Ken

Last seen for girls in 1990 at #12,958 · #3,240 for boys in 2025, 36 births
Given to boys 99.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1960 · 1,775 births
Debut · boys
7 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
33,013
since 1900

Ken over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Ken has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201965peak #177, 1960boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#3,24036
2024—#3,27236
2023—#3,22837
2022—#2,64850
2021—#2,52352
2020—#2,36656
2019—#2,55651
2018—#2,21062
2017—#2,15463
2016—#1,72490
2015—#1,75387
2014—#1,76685
2013—#1,87875
2012—#1,498107
2011—#1,68788
2010—#2,01068
2009—#1,562104
2008—#1,504108
2007—#1,376120
2006—#1,239135
2005—#1,302117
2004—#1,053153
2003—#1,282110
2002—#1,094134
2001—#1,129124
2000—#1,128123
1999—#1,114119
1998—#1,189104
1997—#1,016125
1996—#1,030119
1995—#987126
1994—#1,053112
1993—#1,097104
1992—#1,029113
1991—#939127
1990#12,9585#857142
1989—#856138
1988—#907111
1987—#829126
1986—#901102
1985—#845113
1984—#811116
1983—#856105
1982—#760134
1981—#717145
1980—#739141
1979—#794119
1978—#717137
1977—#762124
1976—#715137
1975#9,0675#659156
1974—#564202
1973—#513232
1972—#464287
1971—#424363
1970#7,9955#368486
1969—#356494
1968—#305601
1967—#284650
1966—#252820
1965—#2181,100
1964—#1921,475
1963—#1781,634
1962#6,5785#1811,684
1961#6,5675#1881,665
1960#6,3905#1771,775
1959—#1821,653
1958—#1851,533
1957—#2211,178
1956—#285657
1955—#345439
1954—#367370
1953—#394317
1952—#382321
1951—#395296
1950—#362347
1949—#320456
1948—#261622
1947—#247707
1946—#227684
1945—#272479
1944—#287427
1943—#294444
1942—#302407
1941—#312345
1940—#326303
1939—#335276
1938—#349252
1937—#385203
1936—#376211
1935—#435167
1934—#457152
1933—#550108
1932—#511127
1931—#60595
1930—#71876
1929—#87857
1928—#1,22834
1927—#1,01248
1926—#91654
1925—#1,12139
1924—#1,24634
1923—#1,32230
1922—#1,36729
1921—#1,58823
1920—#1,27332
1919—#1,75219
1918—#1,90517
1917—#1,58721
1916—#1,77117
1915—#1,55320
1914—#1,97511
1913—#1,80310
1912—#1,26814
1911—#1,5376
1910—#1,5895
1909——
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1900—#1,0507
1899——
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First appearance
1900

The first year at least five boys were named Ken! It came in at #1,050, and was given to 7 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1901–1910, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.

Where Ken is popular in 1965

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedNHWashington: #121 for boys · 38 births · 1 in 644 boysWAIdaho: #164 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 780 boysIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #141 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 1,204 boysMNIllinois: #212 for boys · 55 births · 1 in 1,796 boysILWisconsin: #149 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 1,285 boysWIMichigan: #182 for boys · 54 births · 1 in 1,478 boysMINew York: #317 for boys · 42 births · 1 in 3,892 boysNYMassachusetts: #222 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 3,646 boysMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedRIOregon: #117 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 592 boysORNevada: #142 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 730 boysNVWyoming: #105 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 424 boysWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedSDIowa: #221 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 2,065 boysIAIndiana: #153 for boys · 43 births · 1 in 1,099 boysINOhio: #198 for boys · 52 births · 1 in 1,812 boysOHPennsylvania: #211 for boys · 41 births · 1 in 2,449 boysPANew Jersey: #262 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 3,069 boysNJConnecticut: #261 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,574 boysCTCalifornia: #177 for boys · 173 births · 1 in 1,011 boysCAUtah: #138 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 632 boysUTColorado: #127 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 643 boysCONebraska: #157 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,067 boysNEMissouri: #202 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 1,531 boysMOKentucky: #347 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 4,920 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedWVVirginia: #338 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 3,899 boysVAMaryland: #242 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 2,381 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedDEArizona: #200 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,014 boysAZNew Mexico: #242 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,354 boysNMKansas: #209 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,450 boysKSArkansas: #164 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 943 boysARTennessee: #266 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 2,498 boysTNNorth Carolina: #258 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 1,981 boysNCSouth Carolina: #202 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,266 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #225 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,484 boysOKLouisiana: #221 for boys · 29 births · 1 in 1,261 boysLAMississippi: #218 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,323 boysMSAlabama: #270 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 2,029 boysALGeorgia: #209 for boys · 35 births · 1 in 1,276 boysGAHawaii: #139 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 557 boysHITexas: #303 for boys · 53 births · 1 in 1,956 boysTXFlorida: #228 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 1,598 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Wyoming#105 · 1 in 424
  2. Oregon#117 · 1 in 592
  3. Washington#121 · 1 in 644
  4. Colorado#127 · 1 in 643
  5. Utah#138 · 1 in 632

Best ever in a state: #81 in Montana, 1959.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Wyoming#10561 in 424
Oregon#117261 in 592
Washington#121381 in 644
Colorado#127281 in 643
Utah#138161 in 632
Hawaii#139121 in 557
Minnesota#141281 in 1,204
Nevada#14251 in 730
Wisconsin#149311 in 1,285
Indiana#153431 in 1,099
Nebraska#157121 in 1,067
Arkansas#164181 in 943
Idaho#16471 in 780
California#1771731 in 1,011
Michigan#182541 in 1,478
Ohio#198521 in 1,812
Arizona#200151 in 1,014
Missouri#202261 in 1,531
South Carolina#202191 in 1,266
Georgia#209351 in 1,276
Kansas#209121 in 1,450
Pennsylvania#211411 in 2,449
Illinois#212551 in 1,796
Mississippi#218171 in 1,323
Iowa#221121 in 2,065
Louisiana#221291 in 1,261
Massachusetts#222141 in 3,646
Oklahoma#225131 in 1,484
Florida#228311 in 1,598
Maryland#242131 in 2,381
New Mexico#24281 in 1,354
North Carolina#258231 in 1,981
Connecticut#26171 in 3,574
New Jersey#262191 in 3,069
Tennessee#266141 in 2,498
Alabama#270161 in 2,029
Texas#303531 in 1,956
New York#317421 in 3,892
Virginia#338101 in 3,899
Kentucky#34761 in 4,920
Alaska———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Maine———
Montana———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Vermont———
West Virginia———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Ken
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 32 spots since 2024 (#3,272 → #3,240)
  • 874 spots since 2020 (#2,366 → #3,240)
  • 1,487 spots since 2015 (#1,753 → #3,240)
  • Biggest jump: 350 spots in 1929 (#1,228 → #878)
  • Biggest drop: 96 spots in 1927 (#916 → #1,012)
Rise & fade · boys
60 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1900
  • Peaked 1960 at #177 (1,775 births)
  • Births halved by 1966, 6 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 65 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 65 yrs · run 1929–1991
Share of babies · boys
1 in 1,201
  • Highest: 1 in 1,201 boys born in 1960 were named Ken (0.08%)
  • Latest: 1 in 47,447 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1960s
  • 36.0% of all boys named Ken (11,898) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1900s7#1,050 (1900)#1,050
1910s140#1,268 (1912)#1,674
1920s380#878 (1929)#1,195
1930s1,667#335 (1939)#472
1940s4,874#227 (1946)#285
1950s7,111#182 (1959)#312
1960s11,898#177 (1960)#233
1970s2,243#368 (1970)#598
1980s1,231#717 (1981)#822
1990s1,191#857 (1990)#1,031
2000s1,228#1,053 (2004)#1,267
2010s776#1,498 (2012)#1,924
2020s267#2,366 (2020)#2,880

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Ken in 1965

boys
#218
1,100 births · 1 in 1,691 boys

Top boys' names in 1965

  1. #1Michael80,992
  2. #2John71,493
  3. #3David67,825
  4. #4James67,666
  5. #5Robert63,106
  6. #6William40,111
  7. #7Mark38,244
  8. #8Richard36,817
  9. #9Thomas31,595
  10. #10Jeffrey29,574
  11. #218Ken1,100
More about 1965

boys

1,860,143 boys got a published name in 1965; 1 in 1,691 of them was named Ken, which outranked 95.1% of the 4,425 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 28.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Ken
  1. #215Rickey1,118
  2. #216Lewis1,117
  3. #217Kenny1,103
  4. #218Ken1,100
  5. #219Allan1,094
  6. #220Timmy1,087
  7. #221Ryan1,084
Biggest movers since 1964
Risers
  1. ↑ 785Trace#1,655 → #870
  2. ↑ 729Darran#1,729 → #1,000
  3. ↑ 655Daryn#1,371 → #716
  4. ↑ 648Darian#1,545 → #897
  5. ↑ 512Darryn#1,327 → #815
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,557Jaimie#809 → #2,366
  2. ↓ 443Tammy#875 → #1,318
  3. ↓ 406Destry#637 → #1,043
  4. ↓ 318Dewitt#936 → #1,254
  5. ↓ 303Cassius#860 → #1,163

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1965 →